TopGunn#22

I think Riverbrian encapsulated this discussion with his last comment. The Twins, from the FO to the manager seem to be obsessed with defeating the drop in productivity when a LH hitter has to face a LH pitcher. There are tons of examples where RH hitters actually hit better against RH pitchers. Miranda is just the most recent example, but if you went back to Harmon Killebrew, you'd see he hit the vast majority of his 573 HR's off of RH pitchers. And that makes sense because there are a lot more RH pitchers than there are lefties. I'm not thrilled about the Bader pickup because he's a limited asset for $6 million that we've been told over and over is a HUGE expense for current ownership. I would have been fine if they would have just had Keirsey as the 4th OF. That way if Buxton is hurt for any length of time, Keirsey would be hitting against RHP 75% of the time anyway. The FO's failure to add any kind of RH bat that would help balance the offense is concerning, but as tony&rodney has mentioned many times, the Twins are not a good defensive team. At least Bader makes their OF defense BETTER. They still desperately need offense though. Julien is not a major league hitter after what I witnessed last season. He has no business making the team out of spring training even if he hits .400. He's got to absolutely RAKE at St. Paul for half the season before I even consider bringing him up. They may indeed get a mid season boost from E-Rod and Keaschall but that would be more hope than certainty. Health will always be first and foremost with this roster as the key players (Correa & Buxton) while talented, are often unavailable. You can Royce Lewis to that group. I'm not convinced Jeffers is a "major league hitter" because he's too inconsistent. I would have preferred to see the Bader $6 million used in a trade that might have added some salary...a Yandy Diaz or Ryan Mountcastle at 1B. Both of them can be everyday players even though Baltimore has used Mountcastle in a bit of a platoon with Ryan O'Hearn the last couple of years. I'm convinced we can pitch well. I'm a little nervous about the lineup top to bottom if Buxton, Correa and Lewis all play 100 or more games (and it seems absurd to me that out of a 162 game schedule, that is how LOW the bar is). But if Buxton, Correa and Lewis all miss 60-70 games I don't like what our lineup looks like at all. The "hope" is that if the Twins are in the mix come the trade deadline, new ownership will identify a hitter (or more) and aggressively make the trade to give the ballclub a jolt.

Neither Rizzo or Turner have anything left in the tank. Nothing. It would be better to let Jose Miranda have a clear shot at the position and ask Trevor Larnach to bring a 1B mitt to spring training. Otherwise, if you don't trust your in house options the only other option is to make a trade for a CLEAR upgrade. That would be Casas or Yandy Diaz. But the idea of getting anything positive out of Turner or Rizzo is misguided.

Castro's strength is his versatility. But it seems like a waste to me, to put one of your more physically gifted and athletic players at 1B. Castro's speed, arm and glove are better deployed everywhere else but 1B. Someone made the point that one of the unappreciated values of Castro is that you can PH or pinch run him for a LOT of people throughout the lineup and then just leave him at the position he hit or ran for. That kind of talent makes Castro a "manager's dream" because it's fat less stressful to try to slice and dice the lineup without that kind of versatility. But, I DO agree that with guys like Keaschall, Eeles and Culpepper coming up as well as OF's like E-Rod and Jenkins, the Twins will have depth options that will eventually lead to them trading Castro. Think about it, if you had to deploy Miranda at one corner infield positions and Castro at the other, wouldn't you just play Castro at 3B? If the choice was to play Julien and Castro at 1B/2B, wouldn't you just start Castro at 2B? Isn't he the better defender at the more difficult position? And the idea that Larnach should maybe get a 1B-mitt and take some grounders and throws over there is an idea that Larnach himself should be having !!! He's not as good in LF as Castro. He's not better in LF than Bader. And when E-Rod and Jenkins arrive, his days in the OF for the Twins will be hard to come by. Adding 1B to his resume would help the Twins but also any team the Twins might trade him too.

Good points Elliot. Not sure if it was an auto-correct that got you but you meant to type Freddy Patek.

At long last we have our Payton Eeles feature and it did not disappoint. His rise is truly meteoric and his 5:5 stature crowns him as an underdog for the ages. But what I keep gleaning from everything I read and see about him is that the kid is a GAMER. At every level he's played he has shown ELITE contact skills, an excellent idea of the strike zone and a tough guy to strikeout. There was a time in baseball when this skill was in high demand for a 2B (Rod Carew, Felix Millan, Nellie Fox), heck, even for a CF (Matty Alou). Thank God the Twins didn't obsess about "exit velocity" with Rod Carew at the beginning of his career. There is nothing wrong with hitting the ball HARD. Especially if you do it often. But there is something to said about a LH hitter dumping the ball into short left field for a single, especially if they have SPEED. Your Honor, I would like to present Defense Exhibit A...HOF Rod Carew and his inside out bloop hits to LF. His 3,000 MLB hit happened as an Angel against the Twins in just such fashion. Eeles starting at AAA St. Paul is good. But if he rakes you can't just keep him down there. I don't think you can underestimate the kid's "gamer" attitude. Every good team in every sport has at least one guy on their team like this. I agree with the comment regarding his speed and Rocco's inability to take advantage of it. We have guys who SHOULD be able to run. Rocco just isn't interested. Ever since Eeles burst onto the scene last year and watching Eddie Julien take called 3rd strike after called 3rd strike I've felt that with Eeles in the system now and with the drafting of Kaelon Culpepper, the time is NOW to trade Julien while his value is still relatively high (16.5 BBTV). Julien could be a significant trade chip to allow the Twins to make a run at Dylan Cease (33.6). Julien gets you 50% of the way there. If Eeles struggles at St. Paul people will start jumping off the bandwagon. I think his elite contact skills and knowledge of the strike zone won't let that happen, but there is no question Eeles has to keep doing what he's been doing. But if he does, we as Twins fans KNOW that someone will get hurt, someone will struggle at the plate and an opportunity will open up. I'd love to see Eeles get his shot.

Yeah Stringer, I agree. These were just a couple of interesting trades other people had posted on BBTV. The deal for Pasquantino could work if the Royals are considering playing Sal Perez at 1B more and let younger guys catch. Like I said, their OF is pretty punchless. Larnach would essentially replace Vinnie in the batting order at a different position. The deal with the Reds gives them a LH bat in the OF. Steer has more versatility defensively so he probably makes more sense. But CES is probably terribly undervalued right now due to some injury issues. (I don't know what BBTV values CES at). My memory of him in the Twins system is that he was a higher rated hitter than Miranda. He doesn't just have power, he hit and got on base in the minors. He could be a cheap option at 1B/DH if the Twins wanted some affordable power. There are those on TD who have always questioned the Mahle trade. Getting one of those guys back might be "karmic."

The latest Twins moves: Singing LH Coulomb for the pen and Bader to be the 4th OF leaves the Twins in an interesting position. They've made a couple signings that will help, at least with OF defense and the pen, but the question remains...are they still looking to cut payroll? Vasquez? Paddack? There were a couple interesting trades posted on BBTV that caught my attention. Trade #1 Trevor Larnach 28 y/o OF 21.7 value and Chris Paddack (2.8) to the KC Royals for 27 y/o 1B Vinnie Pasquantino. With Bader the 4th OF and E-Rod on the way possibly by mid-season, Vinnie P. would give the Twins a solid and long term 1B. Willi Castro could be the LH hitting LF. The Royals have one of the worst OF's in the A.L. Central: MJ Melendez, Kyle Isbel and Hunter Renfroe. They could use a guy like Larnach. After trading Brady Singer this off season the Royals could use a guy like Paddack and the Twins shed $7.5 million in salary. For all the talk about needing a RH OF bat, Bader brings the defense but not really much bat. The other trade also involves Larnach, who remains a strong trade chip to balance the roster, especially with the eventual arrivals of E-Rod and Walker Jenkins. This would be Larnach straight up for 27 y/o Spencer Steer who could play LF, 1B and even some 3B if needed. Steer and Pasquantino are each one year younger than Larnach, but they each have values very close to Larnach. It's just a re-balancing of the Twins roster.

I'm only suggesting trading SWR because his value is at an all time high (19.9) and I think Festa, Matthews and Morris, maybe even Colby Lewis have more upside. The appeal of SWR is that his floor is pretty solid but I see some regression for 2025. If the Twins want to make a bigger move, guys like Paddack aren't going to get it done. But the Orioles rotation is shaky and the BP could use a couple of "average" arms. They really need pitching. That's why a Paddack and maybe Henriquez for Mountcastle makes sense. I don't have access to what Bassalo's value is, but it's going to take more than Paddack. Guys like Festa, Matthews & SWR are DOUBLE the value of Mountcastle (and Baltimore still has Ryan O'Hearn plus all those young sluggers). If you want a deal where Mountcastle is a throw in with Bassalo, we need a valuation on Bassalo. I could see making a bigger deal if I had more information. It sounds as if Bassalo is close to being major league ready, but he's blocked by Rutschman and Gary Sanchez. If the Twins made a deal that brought Bassalo and Rutschman, they could probably make a pretty good trade involving Jeffers (16.2 value) but there is probably no market for Vasquez at this time. Maybe Jeffers could be part of a Dylan Cease deal?

Baltimore is over flowing with good prospects and while Tyler O'Neill may be a better fit to compete in 2025, this just stalls the development of Kjerstad, Mayo, Holliday and more. The Orioles almost certainly need to move either Mountcastle or Ryan O'Hearn to open up a little more opportunity for the prospects. You can say O'Neill slides in to replace Santander, but they still have Mullins and Colton Cowser in the OF. I realize that BBTV is not the be all, and end all of gauging trades, but it at least gives you sense of the value of a player. Bailey Ober, with his talent and contract status is valued at 54.7. To put that into perspective, Ober is on a par with Jackson Holliday (56.6), Jordan Westburg (59.1), and more valuable than Coby Mayo (46.3). Ryan Mountcastle's value is 8.7. Baltimore needs pitching in the worst way. Someone like Paddack (3.7) and Billy Amick (7.0) would be an overpay. Not sure what Ronnie Henriquez has for a value but you could argue Paddack and Henriquez could bring us Mountcastle. The Orioles still have Ryan O'Hearn for 1B/DH AB's if they deal Mountcastle. I'd make that trade. One other trade I might consider if my commitment to Harrison Bader is just for one year would be a trade of SWR (19.9) for Mountcastle (8.7) and Enrique Bradfield (11.3). To me it's clear the Twins don't have much faith in Keirsey. Bradfield is 23 years old, bats left/throws left and is lightening fast. But what future does he have in an Orioles OF with Cowser, Kjerstad, O'Neill, Mullins and more?? He made it to A+ last year and stole 74 bases. His OPS was just .708 but he brings SPEED. When Buxton's time with the Twins is done, and E-Rod and Jenkins are considered more corner OF, why not have someone with that element of elite speed either leading off or batting 9th? I think Mountcastle is the best 1B option for the Twins at the lowest cost, both in salary and prospect capital. I prefer the Paddack/prospect rated about a 6.0-7.0 for Mountcastle, but I have to admit, having a speed guy like Bradfield intrigues me. Rocco would turn him into a 15-20 SB guy, so a new manager would probably be needed after the ownership change. Mountcastle may never hit 30 HR's again, but 18-25 is possible at Target Field. He's also a very solid glove (was in the running for a Gold Glove at 1B last season) and to be honest, I'm looking for some back sliding from SWR this season and would much rather see Festa in there. Just remember though, Mountcastle's value is 8.7. Bailey Ober is at 54.7. Joe Ryan 54.6. Pablo Lopez 47.8 (despite his contract escalating). These are guys have tremendous values who just can't be given away for a solid, but not a star 1B.

I'm with the consensus on this move. I see the positive: He can play a good CF and functions as Buxton Insurance and he's got some speed, although with "station to station" Rocco he probably steals 10 bases, tops. But he's completely uninspiring as a hitter. I'm not looking forward to him taking AB's away from Wallner and/or Larnach, even against LH pitching. I 100% agree, the better signing would have been Grichuk and have Keirsey available if Buxton misses time with an injury. Doc Gast, you nailed it when you lamented "how can a team always so concerned about payroll, WASTE it so frivolously and so consistently?!?!? I'm a Senior Softball Player...I guess I should be expecting a call from the Twins to take over the Utility player role once Castro is traded at the All Star break. I'd sure give the Twins a "Veteran Presence."

I'm just not really interested in adding 35 year old guys who, while they supply a "floor" for performance, don't really have much in the way of "upside." I'd rather see our young guys to what they can do. If you're willing to accept mediocre you will BE mediocre. Absent a Paddack for Mountcastle trade or a SWR and Paddack for Casas trade, assuming the Twins trade Paddack for "something" and shed his $7.5 million, I'd rather see a trade with Tampa for Yandy Diaz. Maybe Yandy Diaz (23.4) for SWR (19.9) straight up would work.

First, I think many here are undervaluing Casas. There is a reason he's valued on BBTV at 28.3 and guys like Julien and Miranda are valued at 16.5. The power with Casas is legit. He's a 30 HR guy, maybe more as he matures. He is NOT a "good" 1B. But is he "adequate?" There is no way I trade Ryan or Ober for him and as someone on here posted the BBTV's for each and they are far beyond the value of Casas. Where I differ with a few on here is a trade of SWR for Casas. BBTV would indicate the Twins throw in a Billy Amick/Kaelon Culpepper level prospect to complete the deal. But with young, controllable pitching being so valuable, Casas at 28.3 and SWR at 19.9 seems fair to me. According to BBTV the Twins won the Lopez for Arraez trade by a mile. So I think the 8 point gap in the Casas trade would be reasonable. I believe Festa is superior to SWR. I think Matthews is as well. Trading SWR does NOT cripple the rotation and it adds a power bat to a lineup that could use some additional thunder. Maybe the trade is SWR (19.9) and Paddack (3.7) for Casas (28.3). That gives Boston a little more pitching depth as Paddack could spot start and pitch out of the pen, and the Twins trim $7.5 million from our payroll and could use that money elsewhere. I would like to see the Twins add some thunder to their lineup. I can live live with Casas in the above stated package or Mountcastle in a trade for Paddack and a low level prospect. Mountcastle brings better defense and a decent bat, but not the thunder that Casas does.

I appreciate this article and do not feel it offers only comedic value. It's winter in Minnesota. This is the Hot Stove. Articles like this are precisely why we come to TD. The writer isn't trying to answer all questions. He's giving us a topic and all of us can chime in with a "take." I have incomplete BBTV data because I refuse to pay for the site. However, in my notes, I've listed Casas as having a value of 29.9 for the sake of discussion. I also do not have values for Ryan or Ober but in no circumstance would I give up either of them for a "bat only" 1B. I imagine this is why Seattle rebuffed the Red Sox on multiple occasions. I also do not have the value for SWR. But if Festa is a 20.0 and Zebby Matthews is a 16.0 I would place SWR at 18.0. That's who I would begin discussions with Boston. So to come up with a deal, the Twins would need another 12 points of value. I have advocated exploring trade options for SWR a number of times this off season. He's solid and steady, but doesn't have the upside of Festa. The Red Sox rotation as it stands today is Crochet, Houck, Bello, Buehler and Kutter Crawford. There are questions surrounding each of their #3, #4 and #5 guys. They also have very little depth, with a huge injury question mark surrounding Lucas Giolito. SWR would be just what they are looking for. Someone solid and dependable for the #3-#5 spot in the rotation. SWR is only 24 years old. Paddack only has a value of 3.7 so that just wouldn't be enough. The Red Sox #2 rated prospect is a 2B, so they wouldn't be interested in Julien (16.5) and he and Miranda (16.2) would be an overpay unless the Red Sox sent something else back to even up the trade. But I like the idea of putting a 25 year old slugger in the middle of our lineup. Casas has a similar offensive profile to Matt Wallner. But with Correa, Buxton and Lewis, there are plenty of RH hitters to split them up. If the price to get Casas is NOT Ryan or Ober and begins with SWR, I'm all for it.

No Way. Not cutting Canterino until I'm SURE he will never be healthy. Certainly not as long as some guys have options. This actually sets up a pretty good scenario. The obvious "odd man out" is Funderburk. But...what if he is light out in spring training? He's got a lively fastball and pretty good sweeper, but his health has slowed him down. If Funderburk is dealing in spring training he allows the Twins to have TWO lefty's out of the pen. I think we will see Varland thrive in a bullpen role as well. Now that it appears he's destined to the pen, I think he settles in. That leaves Castellano. We could always work out a trade with Philly if we really like what we see in spring training, but aside from that, he's in a pretty precarious position. Tonkin is the next guy on the shakiest ground. I think the investment in acquiring Topa (trading Polanco) means the Twins would like to see what Topa can contribute if he's healthy. For $2.5 million, I like this move. Coulombe could be the 2nd coming of Theilbar.

This is interesting. We KNOW the Twins have talent and there are a number of players primed for a comeback/bounce back that could power the team forward. Jocko laid out the betting lines and yes, while they hedge, hedge, hedge, it's very easy to see where they're projecting a fierce 4-team pennant race with the White Sox dwelling in the cellar. I'm expecting a fierce pennant race. Cleveland's bullpen won't be AS GOOD as they were in 2024. They were EPIC. They will probably still be good, but not THAT good. Their offense is missing Naylor and Gimenez. I look for the Tigers to be the prime competition. Adding Flaherty to Skubal was a great move. The Tigers have emerging hitters that will probably show improvement. The Royals have the head and shoulders best player in the division and maybe the American League in Bobby Witt and a bona fide Ace in Cole Ragans. But I don't think 34 year old Seth Lugo can repeat his 2024 and their rotation and bullpen is a little thin. Our Hot Stove ain't so hot right now, but maybe we will make a deal that will improve the team for 2025 and beyond. If not, the Twins still have enough talent to win the division if they play more like 2023 and half of 2024 than they did for the last two months of 2024.

I understand the need for "flexibility." Injuries, ineffective play, they all contribute to juggling your lineup as the season unfolds. Maybe I'm far too old fashioned, but I don't think baseball has changed a lot since the time I grew up (1960's & 1970's). Yes, there are "launch angels and spin rates, but those were apparent in those days too. Maybe there are more injuries. It sure seems that way at times but ENTIRE infields and outfields do not need to be "interchangeable." The "Big Red Machine" of the 1970's had a fairly consistent, set lineup. Same with the Baltimore Orioles of the mid 1960's-1970's. There was usually a bench guy who could fill in at SS, 2B & 3B and an OF who could play all three positions. But the infield of Rose, Concepcion, Morgen and Perez was set. Doug Flynn was the SS, 2B, 3B guy and Dan Driessen played 1B and the OF. Ed Armbrister covered all 3 OF spots. It was very similar with the Orioles. The idea that guys need to be comfortable with what their role is, where they play, where they hit in the batting order is tried and true. Disruption brings uneven results. I think Lewis's BAT is crucial to the Twins success. I'm in favor of playing him WHEREVER he feels comfortable. Other guys can adjust to him based on his offensive potential. The guy was once said to have a cannon for an arm. Tommy John surgery shouldn't result in him having a wet noodle now. I think his "base" was hampering his throwing last season. His hip abductor or whatever the injury was. I think 2B is a position that the Twins have a plethora of options. Lee would be my primary to begin with if Lewis is at 3B. Julien is on thin ice. His bat needs to wake up. He was one of the most frustrating major league hitters to watch last year I can ever remember. Honestly, at this time, with Keaschall and Eeles pushing, I'd be very willing to include Julien in a trade that would have impact if another team was eager to take him. Culpepper is also a future 2B option. The depth the Twins have in their system with guys who could play there is what allowed the Twins to move on from a fading Polanco. But to me, Lewis is the key. I really don't have a preference where he ends up. 3B, 2B, 1B, it doesn't matter. Wherever he's comfortable and bringing that BIG STICK to the plate is where he'll be. If the Twins are going to challenge for the division and make any kind of run in the playoffs, Lewis needs to be in the heart of that lineup and hitting HR's and driving in runs. We need to see 30 HR and 100 RBI's from Lewis in 2025. His bat is the future of what I hope will be a potent lineup in 2025 and beyond when Walker Jenkins, E-Rod and Luke Keaschall are in there with him.

I agree with Lambchop. It's something I've complained about with Rocco consistently since he became our manager. Rocco needs to define specific roles for each member of his bullpen. I never cared for Tony LaRussa, but the guy knew how to define roles and stuck to it. Duran needs to CLOSE. Cleveland never taps Clase in the 7th inning. Jax is the 8th inning guy. If you need to get out of a 2 out jam in the 7th, bring Jax in to put out the fire and send him back out for the 8th. Alcala IS much better in one inning stints. I'm interested to see how Canterino could be used if he could ever stay healthy and make it to the big leagues. I'm interested to see if Raya can make it to the Twins and use him in the pen once he makes it up to limit his innings/pitches. Same with Prielipp. We have some guys who will be hit or miss (Tonkin, Topa, Castellano, Varland, Funderburk) who could be replaced by one of the 3 guys listed above could replace. Stewart and Funderburk could be pretty good...or not. There will be plenty of occasions where the Twins will need an arm or two for a spurt. And there may still be some trades made that could send an arm and bring back an arm that could mix things up. But I like having Duran and Jax at the back end. I just hope Rocco defines roles and uses his pitchers accordingly.

This was a good article because it highlighted something that I believe has always frustrated the majority of us Twins fans posting here. I have nothing against being "patient" "prudent" or "thrifty." What DOES frustrate me is any lack of urgency or identification of a specific player who could help the Twins and the will to go after that player. Without fail, we get statements of "we've had some discussions" or "there is interest there" only to never hear a solitary word later about said player. I know the Baseball Players Union will never accept a salary cap, but they actually have, in a fashion, due to the luxury tax. One thing a hard cap does establish is the ability of any team in pro football to have a specific amount of money they can and will spend on their roster. For example, the Vikings have a need in the interior offensive line and at CB. They will address those needs in some way through free agency. It is the hope from every one of us that with new ownership, there will finally come a time where a player in FA will be identified and pursued by the Twins. There are some thrifty moves that can pay nice dividends by signing a player at a slight discount late in the process. But there are times that a player should be identified early, and if necessary paid slightly more if what he brings to the team truly shores up a weak position or rotation spot. Under the Pohlad regime, it's almost as if our FO felt they could skip the first 30-minutes of class and still get a C- and pass the class. I'd like them to show up early for class and go for an "A" or at least a solid "B." I've just never been a fan of the passive attitude the Twins under the Pohlad family took toward building their roster. Be smart. Be wise. But don't be PASSIVE. Don't relegate yourselves to "Dumpster Diving."

I don't trade Lewis until of seen what I get out of him in 2025. it was not that long ago we were discussing him as the cornerstone of the franchise moving forward. The Padres have nothing in their OF beyond Tatis Jr. and Merrill. I have suggested trading Vasquez, Larnach and Chris Paddack, and either Miranda or Julien in a package to the Padres for Cease and Luis Arraez (and maybe adding Campusano, their current starting catcher who is 26 years old if they would include him). This trade would add $10 million to the Twins current salary structure, but it would add a bona fide Ace to the rotation and solve the 1B problem (Arraez) for 2025. Both Cease and Arraez are FA after this season. I would not be acquiring Cease with the intent of trading Lopez. But I WOULD consider using someone like SWR in a deal to get a young catcher who is close to being MLB ready. There is always the chance that in acquiring Cease, new ownership would sign him to an extension. But that is far from a guarantee. That's why I'm not trading Pablo Lopez. A rotation of Cease, Pablo, Ryan and Ober with Festa as #5 wouldn't just be the best in the A.L. Central. It would be Top Five in MLB. Arraez would also look good hitting leadoff for the Twins. The Padres need to cut payroll. They would do this because they would be cutting $28-$29 million from their payroll and adding about $18 million. They would be adding a badly needed LF, a starting catcher, a swing arm in Paddack and a replacement at 1B for Arraez (either Miranda or Julien). The Twins would have a bit of a hole in LF but that could be filled by Willi Castro or a FA signing like Austin Hayes or would accelerate the promotion of E-Rod. Any of these are acceptable outcomes for me.

Or the deal could be expanded T&R to include someone like Arraez who the Padres are also heavily rumored to be interested in dealing, to shed the final year of his $14 million dollar contract. If the deal was for Cease and Arraez that would bring $27,75 million in payroll to the Twins. Sending Vasquez and Paddack, (along with Larnach) with the Padres taking all of that back nets the Padres a full $10 million dollar payroll cut and provides them with a starting LF, starting catcher and swing arm for the rotation and BP. Jeferson Quero has a 22.7 BBTV. Depending on what SWR's BBTV is I would deal him and whatever else it took to the Brewers for Quero. He's blocked by All Star Willam Contreras as well as Gary Sanchez. I think SWR and a little something else (depending on what SWR's value is) could net the Twins Quero. Giving up some major league talent, some minor league talent (not named Keaschall, Rodriguez or Festa) and taking on about $10 million in salary with new ownership coming on the near horizon, to add Dylan Cease to the rotation and Luis Arraez at the top of our order and playing 1B is reasonable and worth it to expect for the 2025 season. What comes in 2026 is completely unknown. But this much IS known. E-Rod, Keaschall and Jenkins will all be one year further in their development as will Festa, Matthews, Lee, Lewis, Miranda and Wallner. The Twins will have a better idea of what they have in Eeles, Helman and Kiersey. If I'm the Falvey/Zoll FO I'm pretty sure the expectation of the new owners is to make the post season. It would also be reasonable to expect some kind of "acceptable" showing in the post season (in other words, something other than a 1st round sweep elimination). I have the chance to add an Ace to the rotation and bring a fan favorite back to Minnesota who would fill the hole at 1B, and it might COST $10 million in additional 2025 payroll, some MLB players who I can afford to deal, and a minor leaguer NOT named Jenkins, E-Rod or Keaschall. I am getting this DONE. The Pohlad's and Ishbia's are certainly in communication about any deals that would add payroll for 2025, but for all we hold sacred...Make this trade. (once I know what SWR's value is of course) because if I deal Vasquez, while I don't think doom hovers over the 2025 the season over a backup catcher, I still want to fill that hole adequately.

Getting back on to the topic of a possible trade between the Twins and the Padres...I've read thru everyone's comments. I've agreed whole heartedly with some, agreed in part with others, disagreed with some takes, in other words the entire gambit. Here's my 2-cents worth, which will be similar to Matthew's OTHER article about the Twins needing to trade a LH hitting OF...Now. The Twins have more than enough firepower to make a deal with the Padres and they should have the motivation. The Padres are an excellent match and both teams could fulfill a LOT of what their concerns have been this off season. For much of this off season we on TD have assumed that the primary goal of the Pohlad family has been to further cut payroll. Then came the news of a potential sale. Then came further news of a sale being completed much sooner than any of us had expected. So it is MY belief that Derek Falvey and Jeremy Zoll are now in a somewhat fluid, different situation. The Pohlad's have to know that whatever payroll is added to the Twins will be someone else's issue and will have little to zero effect on the final sale price of the team. San Diego needs to cut salary yet they still want to compete with the Dodgers in the N.L. West. After all, they have Fernado Tatis, Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Xander Bogaerts. The Twins still have the best overall talent in the A.L. Central. Their biggest issue is that their 3 biggest star hitters, Correa, Buxton and Lewis have a bit of an injury history. That makes their offense inconsistent because the status of 3 big bats are consistently in question. But the chance to add a top of the rotation SP who will make $13.75 million in 2025 when the going rate for a pitcher of his worth is $30 million should be very tempting to a FO who needs to make a blockbuster trade that would solidify their status to remain in their positions in 2026 with new ownership. Look, if the Twins do not make the playoffs in 2025 with the talent currently on their roster what motivation do the Ishbia brothers have to keep Falvey/Zoll around?? The Twins also have a chance to move some of their payroll headaches to the Padres AND add Cease if they are aggressive and creative. Sending Vasquez and Paddack to the Padres in a deal is a no-brainer. The key is sending something else you can afford to be without in 2025 and beyond that has value to the Padres. That would be Trevor Larnach. In Matthew's other article about trading either Wallner or Larnach he suggested a couple teams. But neither of them were the Padres. The Padres, after Jurickson Profar just signed with the Braves have literally NOBODY to play LF. In fact, after Jackson merrill and Fernando Tatis they have nobody in their OF. They NEED and would WANT Trevor Larnach. I would give Larnach up in a deal to get Cease. Especially if I was able to shed Vasquez and Paddack at the same time. I would offer Larnach (22.6 BBTV) Vasquez (-4.1) and Paddack (unknown BBTV) for Cease ($13.75 million) Luis Arraez ($14 million) and Luis Campusano ($1 million). The Twins would be sending roughly $19 million to the Padres. The Twins would be taking back $29 million. All of which is only on the books for 2025. I need help to see what the value of Cease with one year of control, Arraez with one year of control and Campusano a 26 year old catcher with one year of control would have in BBTV to see how close this deal would be. If I had to include a young pitcher, which may not be needed based on the Padres minor league pitching prospects I would consider SWR (unknown) or Matthews (16.0). If they wanted a young hitter I would consider Julien (16.5) or a lower level candidate NOT named E-Rod or Keaschall. Jenkins is off the table as well. I also do this deal because even with FA looming for Cease, with new ownership, we could work out an extension with Cease. Even if the twins were to lose Cease (and that would probably happen if he has a great year and just can't resist the FA opportunity) that would mean the Twins won the trade BIG TIME and it would give Festa, Raya, Morris and any other young pitcher we had one more year of development. How excited would YOU be for the Twins in 2025 if we opened the season with Lopez, Cease, Ryan, Ober and Festa as our rotation and Luis Arraez at the top of our order playing 1B with Jeffers splitting the catching duties with Campusano, a 26 year catcher with one full season behind the plate with the Padres under his belt? We would have Campusano for the year while Cartaya and Camargo have another year to develop at St. Paul as well as all those young minor league pitchers. The Twins would not be responsible for any of the $29 million taken on with this trade after the 2025 season. It would be up to the new ownnership and the FO to determine if they wanted Cease, Arraez and Campusano back, and at what price. Some have said the Twins still wouldn't contend even if they added Cease. REALLY? Others have said "we need hitting, we already have a solid rotation." What is the FIRST Commandment of Baseball?? "Thou shalt never have enough GOOD pitching...especially good STARTING PITCHING." (Thus sayeth the "Baseball Gods.") THAT rotation would be brutal for other teams to face. We all hope for good health with our rotation in 2025 but that kind of talent and depth could overcome a bump in the road or two. If the lineup remained healthy this could be a very special Twins team. If there were some injuries, that starting rotation and bullpen could win a lot of close games. I would be pretty excited if a trade like I've described could be pulled off in the near future. I'd like some guys who have access to BBTV to post on TD what a trade with San Diego could realistically look like if we were to acquire Cease, Arraez and Campusano and we were trading Vasquez, Paddack and Larnach. What else would be needed? What is SWR's BBTV? I know Festa is at 20.0. Julien at 16.5. Miranda at 16.2. Walker Jenkins at 64. Keaschall at 23. But I don't know what Vasquez or Paddack are. I don't know what SWR, Brooks Lee or E-Rod or Wallner are. What else would it take? We are stressing on here about the disaster our season could be if we trade our backup catcher. In my trade, we bring back a 26 year old to split time with Jeffers, but what if San Diego won't include Profar because they want to pair him with Vasquez? Then I make a deal without Campusano but I pivot to a deal with Milwaukee for Jeferson Quero. Maybe offering SWR and Julien. I'm a little skeptical of SWR in 2025. If I have to trade him to obtain a young, major league ready catcher as part of adding Cease and Arraez I'm all for it. Especially if that puts Festa at #5 behind a rotation of Lopez, Cease, Ryan and Ober.

I appreciate the article Matthew, but it just seems like you're way off in making your case. I will allow that there is a certain degree of similarity in Larnach and Wallner. They are both LH hitters, play a corner OF spot and hit with power (in the case of Wallner, a LOT of power). I don't disagree with the idea that the Twins could trade one of them to bring something back of real value. I'm always interested in a trade that makes the team BETTER. And I don't think you mean for the Twins to just give Larnach away either, but the teams you mentioned are not good trade partners. You wrote this on Wednesday night. I don't know why I'm finally seeing it on Friday morning, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you didn't know Profar had just signed with the Braves yesterday. But if I was looking for a trade partner for Larnach I know the first team I would be calling. We've just seen the news drop and articles written about the Twins and Padres having interest in making a deal. Christian Vasquez could be heading to the Padres and according to Puckett's Pond, the Twins are interested in RHP Dylan Cease. THAT got my attention !! And after commenting on this article I plan to read the "Dylan Cease Trade Rumor" on TD. What made me flinch regarding the trade for Cease was who else, other than Vasquez could be heading to the Padres. Zebby Matthews and LUKE KEASCHALL. Reading Keaschall's name made a sound like a stylus sliding across an album in my brain. I don't want that kid traded under ANY circumstance. He will be in a Twins uniform by the All Star break and I think he will be up to stay. But you know what San Diego needs desperately after Profar signed with the Braves?? Someone to play LF. ESPN's depth chart has the projected LF for the Padres listed as Tucupita Marcano, who was suspended from MLB baseball FOREVER for betting on 387 baseball games from July thru November in 2022. The only other possibility is Oscar Mercado a 30 year old with a "thin resume." BBTV's has Keachall's value listed as 23.0 and Larnach's listed as 22.6. Zebby Matthew is listed at 16.0. I only know this because I go there to see what some of the suggested trades are and make a note of a players value when I think it will come in handy sometime. I don't know what Cease is valued at or their current catcher Luis Campusano but here would be my deal. Trevor Larnach 22.6 and Christian Vasquez -4.1 for Dylan Cease. Cease is in the final year of his contract, so he could very well be a one year rental for the Twins but he's a solid SP with real strikeout stuff. He's 29 years old and went 14-11 with a 3.47 ERA and 224 K's last year. He started 33 games and threw over 189 innings. Lopez, Ryan, Cease, Ober. That's is a Kicka$$ first 4. I still like Festa more than SWR for the #5 spot but a trade like I suggested makes the Twins BETTER. One could always hope that Cease could be signed to an extension. SP's like him usually are making $30 million per year. Cease will pitch in 2025 for a salary of $13.75. Moving Vasquez and Larnach in the deal is close to a net zero salary increase. With new ownership on the near horizon for the Twins, how about making a BIG splash? The Padres are looking to trim some payroll, so how about taking another $14 million off their payroll and adding Luis Arraez to the deal? Add another $1 million for Luis Campusano. The Twins could add Chris Paddack to the deal as well as Jose Miranda (16.2) or Eddie Julien (16.5). The New Trade: Larnach (22.6) Vasquez -4.1, Paddack (?) and Miranda/Julien (16.5). Total Value around 35.0 with Paddack an unknown (someone who pays for the right to use BBTV help me on this). Twins get: Cease $14 million, Arraez $14 million, Campusano $1 million. Both Cease and Arraez are signed only thru 2025. They are FA's in 2026. Total salary sent out approx. $19 million. Total additional cost for the Twins $10 million. To be a legit contender in 2025, the additional $10 million could be agreed upon between the Pohlad's and the Ishbia brothers. Twins lineup: Arraez 1B Lee 2B Lewis 3B Correa SS Castro LF Buxton CF Wallner RF DH-Rotating. The Twins could accelerate the promotion of E-Rod and/or sign someone like Austin Hayes. Keaschall will be up at some point. Campusano splits catching with Jeffers. Kiersey begins as 4th OF. Perhaps Payton Eeles is part of the utility IF. Rotation: Lopez, Ryan, Cease, Ober, SWR/Festa. BP led by Duran & Jax. I will mention this again: Go to ESPN or CBS Sports or wherever you normally go to check a team's Depth Chart and see who the Padres have in their OF other than Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill. It's literally nobody. They NEED Larnach. They are looking to cut payroll and are willing to consider dealing Cease. Taking back Arraez (welcome back Luis! Are you ready to win a 4th straight batting title??). in addition to Cease while sending San Diego Vasquez and Paddack (are the Padres ready for a reunion as well?) allows for shedding some significant payroll for both clubs. Cease, Arraez, Vasquez and Paddack are all under contract for only the 2025 season. No commitments beyond that. Padres get a young hitter (Larnach) and another young hitter (Miranda/Julien). Twins get Cease and Arraez for one year, maybe longer and Campusano, a 26 year old catcher with some flaws but some potential. I would prefer to deal Julien because unless he becomes a 1B he has no future with all the potential 2B the Twins have and it leaves Miranda to rotate between DH/1B/3B. But I'd part with Miranda just for the chance to add Cease to the rotation.

2B was the focal point of my comments in Seth's series of comments regarding how the A.L. Central teams stack up, position by position. All of us, as ardent Twins fans, really have no idea who will be playing at 2B, 3B or 1B in our infield. I can't remember anything like this in all my years as a Twins fan, going back to the 1960's. Castro is the ultimate fallback, but the fact that Gregg came up with such a LONG list is interesting. There are many good candidates, but no one who is the clear cut guy. And whatever happens with 2B will also affect 3B and to a certain degree, 1B. I do not think it's too early to be considering guys like Keaschall and Eeles. Keaschall may be prevented from playing 2B for half the season or the entire season, but one thing is quite clear, the kid is going to push for a major league spot. And soon. Payton Eeles may be nothing more than a one-year flash in the pan. Lord knows baseball has seen them on the major league and minor league since the game began. But there's always the chance Eeles is the next Dustin Pedroia. You just never know. But here we are, mere days from pitchers and catchers reporting, and not one of us ardent Twins fans can with any certainty tell us who is going to be playing where. And that concerns me. We could end up being just fine. But like I've said, I've never seen a Twins team on the verge of spring training in a situation like this.

I'm not really a fan of Vasquez but most of it is attributable to his contract. $10 million a year for 3 years was a major over pay by Falvey. I also have never been sold on Jeffers either. He's too inconsistent offensively and while he's shown SOME improvement defensively he's not winning a Gold Glove anytime, ever. So I'll play devils advocate in the thread: With this being the last year of Vasquez's contract, see if he would take a 1 or 2 year extension at $4-4.5 million per year for 2026/2027 and trade Ryan Jeffers. The Twins will get a LOT more back for Jeffers than they will for Vasquez. I just don't see Jeffers as the "Catcher of the Future." Keep Vasquez for a season (2026) or two (2027) at a reduced rate and let him mentor Cartaya/Camargo. It's looking to me like there is not a MANDATE to cut any more salary, at least with a sale looming. The Twins won't receive much salary savings in trading Vasquez either. Jeffers has a BBTV of 16.2. He is somewhat affordable. What could the Twins get back from, say, the Miami Marlins for Vasquez?? The Marlins have the worst offensive output of any MLB team from their catchers. They would probably LOVE to have Jeffers. If it was up to me, I'd be on the phone with Miami and throwing some names around.

We are not talking Johnny Bench, Joe Mauer or Roy Campanella here. We're talking Christian Vasquez. We would be fine with him if he was making $3-$5 million. But we signed him to a 3-year, $30 million dollar contract and he hits like the bat is a wet noodle. Vasquez is replaceable. This is why there is always so much talk about still having to pay half his $10 million dollar salary if we were ever able to move him. I still think the Red Sox or Marlins would pick the whole $10 million up if we dealt him for a low level, lottery ticket prospect or a vet with a contract that would be somewhat similar to Vasquez. The problem internally that the Twins have in replacing Vasquez is that Cartaya and Camargo, two young catchers who showed the potential to be good hitting catchers, have both seen the luster of their offensive potential take a hit these last 2 minor league seasons. Their hitting is trending DOWNWARD, not upward. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence. If Vasquez were traded and Cartaya or Camargo had to split time with Jeffers, that would not be "catastrophic." What would be "catastrophic" would be injuries to Correa and Buxton that keep them out 100 games or more. It would be Lewis hitting more like 2024 and nothing like 2023. It would be Wallner and Larnach talking steps backward instead of forward. It would be Lee looking overmatched. It would be multiple pitching injuries. There are players far more impactful to the Twins success or lack thereof than Vasquez, no matter how well he frames a pitch here and there. I don't mean to minimize the importance of a competent defensive catcher, but come on. The Twins 2025 season does not hang in the balance because of Christian Vasquez.